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Internet Addiction Linked to ADHD, Depression in Teens

Some
children and teens are more likely than their peers to become addicted
to the Internet, and a new study suggests it's more likely to happen if
kids are depressed, hostile, or have attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder or social phobia.

Although an Internet addiction is not
an official diagnosis, signs of a potential problem include using the
Internet so much for game playing or other purposes that it interferes
with everyday life and decision-making ability. (The diagnosis is being
considered for the 2012 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, the "bible" of mental ailments published by
the American Psychiatric Association).

Past research suggests
that 1.4 percent to 17.9 percent of adolescents are addicted to the
Internet, with percentages higher in Eastern nations than in Western
nations, according to the study published Monday in the Archives of
Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Definitions vary, but an
Internet addiction usually includes symptoms such as spending a lot of
time on the Internet (especially more time than intended), an inability
to cut back on usage, a preoccupation with online activities, and
symptoms of withdrawal such as anxiety, boredom, or irritability after
a few days of not going online.

Boys were at a higher risk of
Internet addiction than girls, and those who used the Internet for more
than 20 hours a week, every day, or for online gaming, were at higher
risk as well.

Michael Gilbert, a senior fellow at the Center for
the Digital Future at the University of Southern California's Annenberg
School for Communication, says the findings were no surprise.

"The
study's indication that children who are hyperactive or diagnosed ADHD
are finding an outlet on the Web makes such perfect sense," he says,
because those children crave the constant stimulation of fast-paced
video games and interactive social networks.

If at-risk children
-- such as those identified in the Taiwanese study -- are given
sufficient time and exposure without careful monitoring, Internet
addiction could easily become one of the most chronic childhood
diseases in America, says Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis of the Center for
Child Health, Behavior, and Development, in Seattle.

Since
adolescents cannot easily avoid computers, treatment for addiction
cannot simply involve abstaining from the Internet, says Christakis.
Parents, educators, and medical professionals need to identify
high-risk children early on and monitor their Internet usage to prevent
problem behavior from forming.

Time on the Internet needs to be
monitored as well, especially for children who may be at high risk for
addiction because of depression, ADHD, or social problems, says
Christakis.